Water Power: Measuring Household Water and Energy Intensity

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Water Power: Measuring Household Water and Energy Intensity

Energy and water are linked through their reliance upon one another from creation to end-use.

Energy requires water for fuel production. Water must be pumped from the ground, treated, and distributed for use while wastewater must be collected, treated, and discharged - all activities requiring energy. This interdependence is referred to as the energy-water nexus.

It is increasingly understood that conservation of one conserves the other. This report evaluates and quantifies the energy and water cost of residential activities like running a sprinkler, charging your electric car, running your air conditioner, taking a shower, washing and drying your clothes, in Central Texas.

Pecan Street has been tasked by the Environmental Defense Fund to analyze and report on the total energy and water costs of whole home and various appliance-level end-uses. Pecan Street is in a unique position to study this relationship at the residential level using high-frequency ground truth disaggregated energy data and the most granular whole home water use data available today

Source: Environment Defense Fund

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